1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to the field of equipment used in rescuing occupants from a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention provides equipment and a method for opening a door of a vehicle that has been jammed shut or is stuck due for example to a collision or because of being damaged in combat operations.
2. Problem Solved by the Invention
The HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) is used e.g. by the U.S. Military in a number of missions including combat missions. In combat operations the doors of the HMMWV can jam shut due e.g. to impact by blast or fragment from an explosive device, or even due simply to a collision (in either combat or non-combat operations). The windows are relatively small in dimensions, and when the doors become jammed, the occupants are trapped. If the vehicle is in a hostile area, it is critical that the occupants be freed from the vehicle as soon as possible. Even if the vehicle in not in a hostile area, because of the risk of fire the occupants should be freed as soon as possible. Various methods have been tried, but because of the use of “battle latches” as well as a standard latch for the HMMWV doors, even pry bars and sledge hammers have proven ineffective.
So what is needed is a way to open the doors to the HMMWV when they are jammed or stuck shut. Ideally, a device for opening the doors of the HMMWV would also be useful for opening the doors of other vehicles, especially military vehicles.